Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Burning Man to Lake Nacimiento
ALL PHOTOS OF BURNING MAN HAVE NOW BEEN POSTED. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT BURNING MAN OR THE PHOTOS, PLEASE LET US KNOW. WE ALSO WOULD WELCOME ANY COMMENTS YOU MAY HAVE ABOUT THE EVENT. We departed Burning Man early in the morning after saying our good-byes. It took about 30 minutes to get to the paved road (Nevada Hwy 437) due to the numbers of vehicles leaving Black Rock City. We drove to Reno and picked up Tinsel at the Pet Playhouse. She was extremely happy to see us! It took us about 12 hours to get to our house. Upon arrival, we computed our mileage as 10,824 over 81 days, and traveled through 22 states. It was a wonderful trip. We enjoyed writing this blog, and are happy so many of you have been reading it. Doing this blog actually enhanced our trip as on many occasions we stopped to see places and things we otherwise may not have, because of this blog. So, a BIG THANKS to all who kept encouraging us to continue with the posts and photos!
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Burning Man (Richards perspective)
This is Richard's first and only post to this blog. Steve has been doing a good job and he continues with his own version of Burning Man which follows, but I feel compelled to add some comments in my own words.
I consider last week to be one of the top five events in my life, thus far. The experience was moving at times, exciting, unexpected and humbling. Black Rock City (where Burning Man takes place) rises out of the desert from nothing and becomes a vibrant city which is a cross between Las Vegas, New York, ancient Greece, and a T.J. backwater street. There is something different around every corner, from a fire hoop to jump through to a potato slinging contest to a first class live art performance on par with a $250 seat Broadway show. Everything and anything can be found here, and yet you pay for nothing and this was by far the most impressive part of my experience. Everything is given away and provided out of goodness of people. The costs involved to individuals could be significant or minor depending on the service provided. Some people spend thousands of dollars to host an unlimited bar for the whole week and others sit in the hot sun misting people riding by on bicycles. Once, while waiting for Steve, I was alone on the bicycle and it was late at night. An elderly couple approached and said they had a gift for me. It was a handcrafted bandanna that the woman wrote my name on. She had made several to give to random people that she thought could use it to help block out the dust. I said thank you and before anything else was said, they vanished in the night. Another time, I went to a postcard party. Besides providing all the postcards and pens, the woman made sure that she stamped each and every card. The next day at the post office, I discovered the postmaster had all the stamps to make sure everything had the correct postage. No one would ever be charged for a stamp. I noticed a sign that was asking for volunteers to deliver the mail. This was mail that had been sent from around the country with valid postage and they needed carriers to deliver it. I took off on my bike to find the people with only the address, "she is at the place where the squid art car is parked". Sometimes I found the people and sometimes not, so it had to be returned to the post office as undeliverable. It was a fun. Although I did this minor task and also shared food with our 14 camp mates, Steve and I TOOK way more than we gave THIS TIME. We did not realize the extent of the extreme nature of the strangers who gave without question and always did it with a smile and without any expectation of something in return. How strange and different this was from our society as a whole! This activity made a deep impression on me. With all the music, art cars, and sometimes craziness that went on 24/7, one NEVER saw anger, fighting, mean words, or hostility. How different our lives would be if we could all practice at least some of the principles from Burning Man...Steve has more comments......
I consider last week to be one of the top five events in my life, thus far. The experience was moving at times, exciting, unexpected and humbling. Black Rock City (where Burning Man takes place) rises out of the desert from nothing and becomes a vibrant city which is a cross between Las Vegas, New York, ancient Greece, and a T.J. backwater street. There is something different around every corner, from a fire hoop to jump through to a potato slinging contest to a first class live art performance on par with a $250 seat Broadway show. Everything and anything can be found here, and yet you pay for nothing and this was by far the most impressive part of my experience. Everything is given away and provided out of goodness of people. The costs involved to individuals could be significant or minor depending on the service provided. Some people spend thousands of dollars to host an unlimited bar for the whole week and others sit in the hot sun misting people riding by on bicycles. Once, while waiting for Steve, I was alone on the bicycle and it was late at night. An elderly couple approached and said they had a gift for me. It was a handcrafted bandanna that the woman wrote my name on. She had made several to give to random people that she thought could use it to help block out the dust. I said thank you and before anything else was said, they vanished in the night. Another time, I went to a postcard party. Besides providing all the postcards and pens, the woman made sure that she stamped each and every card. The next day at the post office, I discovered the postmaster had all the stamps to make sure everything had the correct postage. No one would ever be charged for a stamp. I noticed a sign that was asking for volunteers to deliver the mail. This was mail that had been sent from around the country with valid postage and they needed carriers to deliver it. I took off on my bike to find the people with only the address, "she is at the place where the squid art car is parked". Sometimes I found the people and sometimes not, so it had to be returned to the post office as undeliverable. It was a fun. Although I did this minor task and also shared food with our 14 camp mates, Steve and I TOOK way more than we gave THIS TIME. We did not realize the extent of the extreme nature of the strangers who gave without question and always did it with a smile and without any expectation of something in return. How strange and different this was from our society as a whole! This activity made a deep impression on me. With all the music, art cars, and sometimes craziness that went on 24/7, one NEVER saw anger, fighting, mean words, or hostility. How different our lives would be if we could all practice at least some of the principles from Burning Man...Steve has more comments......
Burning Man
PHOTOS ARE NOW BEING UPLOADED. THIS WILL TAKE SEVERAL DAYS DUE TO SLOW UPLOADING SPEED HERE AT OUR HOUSE. THERE WILL BE APPROXIMATELY 80 PHOTOS SO KEEP CHECKING BACK FOR MORE. THANKS FOR YOUR PATIENCE. "Trying to explain what Burning Man is to someone who has never been to the event is a bit like trying to explain what a particular color looks like to someone who is blind....To truly understand this event, one must participate." (quote from http://www.burningman.com/)
The event takes place about 125 miles north of Reno, Nevada. We took I-80 east to Nevada Hwy 447, passing through a couple of very small towns. We turn off the road onto the "playa," the 400 square mile expanse known as the Black Rock Desert. Photo.
Upon reaching the entrance, still miles from Black Rock City (the name of the area where Burning Man takes place), we are enthusiastically welcomed and immediately get the sense we belonged here. Being first timers, we are known as "virgins" and we loudly ring the "virgin bell." Photo. A partially naked young man asks us to disrobe and make "dirt angels" on the dusty ground, but we decline (others do it). We are hugged and sent on our way into tremendous billows of dust made by numerous vehicles before us towards Black Rock City barely visible on the horizon, still several miles away.
We are here to survive. We have read the Burning Man Survival Guide, and have brought an additional 42 gallons of water in jugs in addition to the 30 gallon fresh water tank in our RV. We have brought multiple tubes of sunscreen and large brimmed hats to protect us from the hard desert sun. We have brought enough food for a week, stuffing our refrigerator, freezer, and storage shelves to the maximum. We have our RV as shelter. We have dust masks and goggles to protect against the dust storms sweeping across the playa. We are here with friends and friends to be met who have been here before and will help us to survive.
We are here to participate in developing a community based upon radical self expression and self reliance.
Many are here to create. We arrive believing we are only spectators. There are very few, if any spectators here, and we soon learn the broader meaning of the word "create."
Burning Man is an experience like no other. It is a tremendous feeling of freedom. It is finding experiences of kindness and unexpected joy and happiness. This ranges from stripping off your clothes to run after the water truck for a fresh shower while the driver wets the road to keep the dust down, to finding a 100 ft high slide in the middle of nowhere, far from Black Rock City, to a stranger who unselfishly walks up to us and hands us a bag of ice just because we are the last in a line of at least a hundred. He wants nothing in return
We are here, and when we depart, we will leave "no trace," a motto we will hear throughout our stay.
We finally arrive at our "home," our campsite we will share with 14 other men. Peter has designed an elaborate canopy to drape from our RV to his and Ed's RV. An additional canvas structure complete with drapes, tables, and flag will enclose the rear of our site. We will be open only to the street we are on - called Kinship. We spend the next several hours helping to create these shelters and two others. These shelters will help us by providing shade and some protection from the dust. Photos.
At night, several of us walked out onto the playa. We are breathless at the expanse of art work and "mutant vehicles," both of which are both far into the distance and close by. We see the "Burning Man" structure, a magnificent creation which will be burned at the end of the celebration. Photo. We turn around and look back towards the city and see an amazing spectrum of light: laser beams shooting into the night sky, cleverly designed, multi-colored vehicles, fire balls being shot out 50 feet into the air, and light of all colors emanating from the campsites of the 50,000 people here. It is amazing when one considers that this place is completely off the electrical grid!
Returning to our camp, we are both covered from head to toe in playa dust, a dust with the consistency of chalk dust, or talcum powder. Richard had designed a water conservation system. We have brought with us several small plastic containers approximately 12x16x6. One contains water for hand washing. Another is to rinse our feet before entering the RV. Another is to use with a wash cloth to wet our bodies while standing in the shower. We then scrub ourselves with foaming soap (makes loads of suds), and shampoo our hair before turning on the shower and rinsing for no more than one minute. No water is provided here so we must use it sparingly. A bonus shower is when the water truck comes by. We hurriedly strip and run after the truck, as do numerous other participants. Let me say that when you are this dirty and dusty, you will do most anything to get clean before going to bed! Photos of running after the water truck.
Despite our attempts to avoid it, the dust has entered every space of the RVs interior. The exterior of the RV and our Toyota truck are covered in dust. Photos of our dusty vehicles.
The next day, we ride our bicycles out into the desert and find a young woman playing drums, a bird nest made entirely out of plumping pipe, and emotionally moving art work consisting of boots of Iraqi War soldiers "marching" across the desert floor with photos of the dead soldiers, an art piece of locusts crawling out of their cocoons and onto the playa and many more. Photos. Then, a sailing ship appears moving quickly through the wind. Photo. There are hundreds of cars, and trucks modified with great creativity to look like ships, dragons, fish, cats, jet planes, tape decks, houses, many shooting out fire and carrying dozens of revelers. Photos of a sampling of what are termed "mutant vehicles." To operate a motorized vehicle, one must be registered with the DMV - Department of Mutant Vehicles. Only bicycles and walking is allowed unless you have a "mutant vehicle."
Black Rock City is huge. So big it is the fourth largest city in Nevada during that week. A bicycle is pretty much necessary to travel around. We brought our mountain bikes and went to a campsite called "Pimp Your Bike," where the campers there gave out free items to decorate bikes. We came across a 26 year old man dressed in army uniform and helmet riding a bike. Attached to the handlebars was the engine for a weed wacker. Attached to the weed wacker engine was a blender. He grabbed the tequila out of his pack and proceeded to make bystanders, including us, frozen margueritas! Photos. Another time, we came across a campsite titled "Pie Time." Three "Bettys" were serving home made pies. Four place settings, china and silverware, and a menu listing 5 different pies. Problem is, you had to role the dice to determine your pie. One of the selections was "placentia pie." We later found our it was made of honey and cheese. We both had peach pie...it was delicious! Photos. At night we rode a mutant vehicle and then had to walk back to our bikes. Along the way, at midnight, we found a man with a cart, stove, and table with chairs making chocolate chip pancakes on the playa in the dark of night. They were unbelievably delicious. Biking the roads was difficult at times. By weeks end the roads were more like the moguls one would experience at a ski resort. In addition, most people had bikes, drove them in every direction on both left and right side of the road, intermingling with mutant vehicles. It reminded us of photos from third world countries where everyone rode bicycles.
Over the next several days, we rode our bikes around Black Rock City and saw many, many interesting sites so numerous to mention them all. One place we went to was a spa. We sat in comfortable soft chairs, had cold cucumbers place over our eyes, and a very cold mask placed over that. Then a head and shoulder massage. It felt terrific, considering the heat and dust on the playa. Photos. Later, we stopped at a bar named Musical Misfits. We met some people there, and toured their camp. One of the men found out we lived at Lake Nacimiento and proceeded to tell us how he used to come to the lake as a child in the 1970's where he learned out to water ski. The community created here is definitely not capitalism. No one sells anything at Burning Man. We did not spend even a penny here. It is entirely a gifting economy. Entire camps exist solely to, among other things, give away pie (photos), snow cones, pasta, pizza (photo), ice cream sundaes, root beer floats, pancakes, crepes (photos), wine, margaritas, sandwiches, yoga lessons, workshops of every kind, and entertainment as fine as any you would find in Las Vegas. All free! It does cost to enter ($150-350), but that pays the federal government for the use of the land, the porta-poddies and some infrastructure.
Additional photos to the right are: Steve jumping through a ring of fire; Group picture of our camp mates; Re-birthing of a camp mate. You can see him sliding down the birth canal. When he came out at the end, he had no clothes; Evolution art piece with a camp mate as the "man"; Neighbor woman in shiny pink; Four painted, naked men waiting for the start of a street parade; A tower built completely of pallets; Richard being dusted by one of the women in the French Maid Brigade; Man placing a pizza in a wood fired oven at his campsite; Richard delivering mail; Camp mate Pete in his robot costume; Many photos of mutant vehicles.
We also visited the Temple, a beautiful structure built by volunteers. It is shaped like a Lotus, three stories tall where anyone can post a message of any kind. Many of the notes were written to or about deceased friends, relatives, or even pets. The prose had quite an emotional impact on everyone. For many, it was a way to say good-bye. We both wrote notes to our parents, and also remembrances of our pet dalmatians, Ember and Ripley. The temple was purposely set on fire the final night.
The term "leave no trace" was strictly adhered to. Only clean water was allowed to touch the playa. Numerous volunteers will spend weeks, cleaning up any trace of our existence here, including the burned remains of the "Burning Man" and Temple. Photo of the Burning Man being burned.
We have considered going to Burning Man for at least 10 years. Finally, our friends Pete and Ed convinced us to attend and we are eternally grateful to them for showing us the way. In the past, we have heard comments from some people dismissing Burning Man as "a bunch of naked people running around on drugs." At this point I would like to quote portions from another blog about Burning Man from an eight year participant.
"The truth, though, is that Burning Man is an ideal place for self reflection and self transformation, whether substance aided or not....Friends of mine have changed their names, their professions, and their entire lives at Burning Man. And not because they were stoned or tripping, but because Black Rock City....has a tendency to expand horizons, reveal possibilities, and question the assumptions most of us make about how we're supposed to live our lives. The freedom (at Burning Man) is more then just freedom from conventional economic life, though, yes there are some naked people running around on drugs, because the culture of Black Rock City is a very, very liberal one. (It is not free of law enforcement...) Of course, how people choose to exercise that freedom is up to them. For every NPRAOD, I'd guess there are people wishing they had the courage to do so, one person playing the violin on a sofa bed in the middle of the desert, two people cooking pumpkin ravioli, and another person writing the name of her beloved on the wooden walls of the Temple." For more of that blogger's description of Burning Man, go to www.huffingtonpost.com/jay-michaelson/the-truth-about-burning-m_b_279464.html (the space between m and b and 2 are: _ ) One final note from me (Steve), if you are reading this and do not see the photos, please be patient as it takes some time to upload the photos.
The event takes place about 125 miles north of Reno, Nevada. We took I-80 east to Nevada Hwy 447, passing through a couple of very small towns. We turn off the road onto the "playa," the 400 square mile expanse known as the Black Rock Desert. Photo.
Upon reaching the entrance, still miles from Black Rock City (the name of the area where Burning Man takes place), we are enthusiastically welcomed and immediately get the sense we belonged here. Being first timers, we are known as "virgins" and we loudly ring the "virgin bell." Photo. A partially naked young man asks us to disrobe and make "dirt angels" on the dusty ground, but we decline (others do it). We are hugged and sent on our way into tremendous billows of dust made by numerous vehicles before us towards Black Rock City barely visible on the horizon, still several miles away.
We are here to survive. We have read the Burning Man Survival Guide, and have brought an additional 42 gallons of water in jugs in addition to the 30 gallon fresh water tank in our RV. We have brought multiple tubes of sunscreen and large brimmed hats to protect us from the hard desert sun. We have brought enough food for a week, stuffing our refrigerator, freezer, and storage shelves to the maximum. We have our RV as shelter. We have dust masks and goggles to protect against the dust storms sweeping across the playa. We are here with friends and friends to be met who have been here before and will help us to survive.
We are here to participate in developing a community based upon radical self expression and self reliance.
Many are here to create. We arrive believing we are only spectators. There are very few, if any spectators here, and we soon learn the broader meaning of the word "create."
Burning Man is an experience like no other. It is a tremendous feeling of freedom. It is finding experiences of kindness and unexpected joy and happiness. This ranges from stripping off your clothes to run after the water truck for a fresh shower while the driver wets the road to keep the dust down, to finding a 100 ft high slide in the middle of nowhere, far from Black Rock City, to a stranger who unselfishly walks up to us and hands us a bag of ice just because we are the last in a line of at least a hundred. He wants nothing in return
We are here, and when we depart, we will leave "no trace," a motto we will hear throughout our stay.
We finally arrive at our "home," our campsite we will share with 14 other men. Peter has designed an elaborate canopy to drape from our RV to his and Ed's RV. An additional canvas structure complete with drapes, tables, and flag will enclose the rear of our site. We will be open only to the street we are on - called Kinship. We spend the next several hours helping to create these shelters and two others. These shelters will help us by providing shade and some protection from the dust. Photos.
At night, several of us walked out onto the playa. We are breathless at the expanse of art work and "mutant vehicles," both of which are both far into the distance and close by. We see the "Burning Man" structure, a magnificent creation which will be burned at the end of the celebration. Photo. We turn around and look back towards the city and see an amazing spectrum of light: laser beams shooting into the night sky, cleverly designed, multi-colored vehicles, fire balls being shot out 50 feet into the air, and light of all colors emanating from the campsites of the 50,000 people here. It is amazing when one considers that this place is completely off the electrical grid!
Returning to our camp, we are both covered from head to toe in playa dust, a dust with the consistency of chalk dust, or talcum powder. Richard had designed a water conservation system. We have brought with us several small plastic containers approximately 12x16x6. One contains water for hand washing. Another is to rinse our feet before entering the RV. Another is to use with a wash cloth to wet our bodies while standing in the shower. We then scrub ourselves with foaming soap (makes loads of suds), and shampoo our hair before turning on the shower and rinsing for no more than one minute. No water is provided here so we must use it sparingly. A bonus shower is when the water truck comes by. We hurriedly strip and run after the truck, as do numerous other participants. Let me say that when you are this dirty and dusty, you will do most anything to get clean before going to bed! Photos of running after the water truck.
Despite our attempts to avoid it, the dust has entered every space of the RVs interior. The exterior of the RV and our Toyota truck are covered in dust. Photos of our dusty vehicles.
The next day, we ride our bicycles out into the desert and find a young woman playing drums, a bird nest made entirely out of plumping pipe, and emotionally moving art work consisting of boots of Iraqi War soldiers "marching" across the desert floor with photos of the dead soldiers, an art piece of locusts crawling out of their cocoons and onto the playa and many more. Photos. Then, a sailing ship appears moving quickly through the wind. Photo. There are hundreds of cars, and trucks modified with great creativity to look like ships, dragons, fish, cats, jet planes, tape decks, houses, many shooting out fire and carrying dozens of revelers. Photos of a sampling of what are termed "mutant vehicles." To operate a motorized vehicle, one must be registered with the DMV - Department of Mutant Vehicles. Only bicycles and walking is allowed unless you have a "mutant vehicle."
Black Rock City is huge. So big it is the fourth largest city in Nevada during that week. A bicycle is pretty much necessary to travel around. We brought our mountain bikes and went to a campsite called "Pimp Your Bike," where the campers there gave out free items to decorate bikes. We came across a 26 year old man dressed in army uniform and helmet riding a bike. Attached to the handlebars was the engine for a weed wacker. Attached to the weed wacker engine was a blender. He grabbed the tequila out of his pack and proceeded to make bystanders, including us, frozen margueritas! Photos. Another time, we came across a campsite titled "Pie Time." Three "Bettys" were serving home made pies. Four place settings, china and silverware, and a menu listing 5 different pies. Problem is, you had to role the dice to determine your pie. One of the selections was "placentia pie." We later found our it was made of honey and cheese. We both had peach pie...it was delicious! Photos. At night we rode a mutant vehicle and then had to walk back to our bikes. Along the way, at midnight, we found a man with a cart, stove, and table with chairs making chocolate chip pancakes on the playa in the dark of night. They were unbelievably delicious. Biking the roads was difficult at times. By weeks end the roads were more like the moguls one would experience at a ski resort. In addition, most people had bikes, drove them in every direction on both left and right side of the road, intermingling with mutant vehicles. It reminded us of photos from third world countries where everyone rode bicycles.
Over the next several days, we rode our bikes around Black Rock City and saw many, many interesting sites so numerous to mention them all. One place we went to was a spa. We sat in comfortable soft chairs, had cold cucumbers place over our eyes, and a very cold mask placed over that. Then a head and shoulder massage. It felt terrific, considering the heat and dust on the playa. Photos. Later, we stopped at a bar named Musical Misfits. We met some people there, and toured their camp. One of the men found out we lived at Lake Nacimiento and proceeded to tell us how he used to come to the lake as a child in the 1970's where he learned out to water ski. The community created here is definitely not capitalism. No one sells anything at Burning Man. We did not spend even a penny here. It is entirely a gifting economy. Entire camps exist solely to, among other things, give away pie (photos), snow cones, pasta, pizza (photo), ice cream sundaes, root beer floats, pancakes, crepes (photos), wine, margaritas, sandwiches, yoga lessons, workshops of every kind, and entertainment as fine as any you would find in Las Vegas. All free! It does cost to enter ($150-350), but that pays the federal government for the use of the land, the porta-poddies and some infrastructure.
Additional photos to the right are: Steve jumping through a ring of fire; Group picture of our camp mates; Re-birthing of a camp mate. You can see him sliding down the birth canal. When he came out at the end, he had no clothes; Evolution art piece with a camp mate as the "man"; Neighbor woman in shiny pink; Four painted, naked men waiting for the start of a street parade; A tower built completely of pallets; Richard being dusted by one of the women in the French Maid Brigade; Man placing a pizza in a wood fired oven at his campsite; Richard delivering mail; Camp mate Pete in his robot costume; Many photos of mutant vehicles.
We also visited the Temple, a beautiful structure built by volunteers. It is shaped like a Lotus, three stories tall where anyone can post a message of any kind. Many of the notes were written to or about deceased friends, relatives, or even pets. The prose had quite an emotional impact on everyone. For many, it was a way to say good-bye. We both wrote notes to our parents, and also remembrances of our pet dalmatians, Ember and Ripley. The temple was purposely set on fire the final night.
The term "leave no trace" was strictly adhered to. Only clean water was allowed to touch the playa. Numerous volunteers will spend weeks, cleaning up any trace of our existence here, including the burned remains of the "Burning Man" and Temple. Photo of the Burning Man being burned.
We have considered going to Burning Man for at least 10 years. Finally, our friends Pete and Ed convinced us to attend and we are eternally grateful to them for showing us the way. In the past, we have heard comments from some people dismissing Burning Man as "a bunch of naked people running around on drugs." At this point I would like to quote portions from another blog about Burning Man from an eight year participant.
"The truth, though, is that Burning Man is an ideal place for self reflection and self transformation, whether substance aided or not....Friends of mine have changed their names, their professions, and their entire lives at Burning Man. And not because they were stoned or tripping, but because Black Rock City....has a tendency to expand horizons, reveal possibilities, and question the assumptions most of us make about how we're supposed to live our lives. The freedom (at Burning Man) is more then just freedom from conventional economic life, though, yes there are some naked people running around on drugs, because the culture of Black Rock City is a very, very liberal one. (It is not free of law enforcement...) Of course, how people choose to exercise that freedom is up to them. For every NPRAOD, I'd guess there are people wishing they had the courage to do so, one person playing the violin on a sofa bed in the middle of the desert, two people cooking pumpkin ravioli, and another person writing the name of her beloved on the wooden walls of the Temple." For more of that blogger's description of Burning Man, go to www.huffingtonpost.com/jay-michaelson/the-truth-about-burning-m_b_279464.html (the space between m and b and 2 are: _ ) One final note from me (Steve), if you are reading this and do not see the photos, please be patient as it takes some time to upload the photos.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Heyburn, ID to Reno, Nevada
We left Heyburn and traveled to Twin Falls, Idaho where we stopped at a bridge over the Snake River. At this point, the Snake flows through a deep canyon. Several photos of the Snake River at this point, including a waterfall. We then took US Hwy 93 south and crossed into Nevada at Jackpot, Nevada. Jackpot is frequented by many people from Idaho who go there to the casinos due to its proximity. Leaving Jackpot, there is nothing but bare land for many, many miles until Interstate 80. We have traveled Hwy 93 many times, and refer to it as the "Jimmy shortcut," after Steve's nephew (whose wife and kids we just saw), who told us that it was a faster way to Idaho than going up I-15. On I-80, we encountered several construction zones. In fact, we have seen lots of construction on the highways we have traveled. Many of them had signs indicating the cost was funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act which, of course, was part of the federal stimulus program. Believe us when we say that the road work was badly needed! We arrived in Reno at a KOA Campground next to the Boomtown Casino and above the Truckee River. Photo of campground and Truckee River. We are here to prepare for Burning Man. Since this event takes place in a desert playa about 110 miles north of Reno with absolutely no services, we had to plan each meal over the next 7 days, go to the grocery store, and also purchase containers for water. Our RV fresh water tank only holds 30 gallons of water....not enough for drinking, showers, etc for a whole week. So, we are bringing an additional 47 gallons of water, plus numerous small water bottles. Since no pets are allowed at Burning Man, we made prior arrangements at Pet Playhouse in Reno where Tinsel will be boarded. We scheduled this based upon their Internet site, so first thing to do here was to check it out and make sure it was as advertised. Fortunately it appeared to be an excellent choice. Tinsel will have a "suite," to stay in at night, but during the day she will participate in group play with other dogs. This all takes place in a new facility, roomy and air conditioned throughout. No dogs here are ever in crates. She will also get 30 minutes of individual ball play each day, and on Thursday she will get a strapped in scenic van tour of Reno!! If you would like to see what the Pet Playhouse is all about go to: http://www.petplayhouse.biz/. One final note, due to its remoteness, there is no cell service nor Internet connection at Burning Man. Therefore, the next and final post will not be until just after September 7, when we finally arrive home! We promise that the post will be extensive and there will be many, many photos. We have never been to Burning Man, but from what we hear, it is an eye full!
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Lander, WY to Heyburn, Idaho
Lander is a rather isolated place in west central Wyoming. We left there, traveling down WY Hwy 26. On the way we passed through Farson, Wy. We took the photo of the Farson sign in memory of our late, close friend, Doug Farson who used to often mention the town of Farson. Steve was driving at the time and took a photo of Tinsel, who loves to sit in the front, co-pilots seat. We continued to Kemmerer, WY where we picked up US Hwy 30. US 30 brought back fond memories for Steve. In 1956, Steve, his sister, two brothers and parents took off in their 1955 Ford and left their home near LA, joined US 30 in Wyoming and traveled on that highway into Iowa, before heading north to Wisconsin. It was Steve's first real family vacation and road trip, and was an important factor in his growing love for travel. Photo of US Hwy 30 sign to the right. We also stopped along the way to see remnants of the Oregon Trail. Photo of two of the monuments we saw. It is pretty amazing when you see the terrain these emigrants had to cross to get to the west in the mid-1800's. Many, many didn't make it to their destinations due to drownings while attempting to cross rivers, stampedes from cattle and horses, and disease. Interestingly, we read that death from Native American attacks were greatly exaggerated. Entering Idaho, we joined I-86 and arrived in Heyburn, Idaho at a campground next to the Snake River late afternoon. Steve's late nephew, Jim, lived nearby in Rupert, Idaho. His wife, Cindy, and children, Calissa, Richard, and Alice continue to reside there. They joined us at the campground and then for dinner. It was great seeing them again. We were amazed how the kids had grown! We hope they will visit us at the lake again soon. Photo from the left, Steve, Calissa, Alice, and Richard. Photo also of the Snake River from the campground.
Milwaukee Re-Visited
We are in southern Idaho as we write this post. That portion will be posted later today or tomorrow. Right now, however, we wanted to post some additional photos from our trip to the Milwaukee area last weekend. The first picture is of, left to right, Molly, Tasha, and Zack. These are the three adult "children" of Bob and Sally. Of the three, only Zack has been to Lake Nacimiento (and the only swimmer at the lake who actually beat Tinsel to the tennis ball). Molly and Nick, and Tasha have promised to visit us. Hopefully, we can also convince Sally as well! The next photo is of Molly's three children, left to right, Calla, Chase, and Tess. The last photo is Richard in the pool, tossing Tess. Thanks to Molly for forwarding these pictures as they were much better than ours.
Friday, August 28, 2009
Martin, SD to Lander, Wyoming
Leaving Martin, SD, we continued west on US Hwy 18, then turned south on SD Hwy 391. We passed through Pine Ridge, SD and then entered Nebraska at Whiteclay. Some might remember the TV documentary a few years back on these two towns. It involved people from Pine Ridge drinking in Whiteclay. In Whiteclay, a tiny town, we observed numerous beer trucks being unloaded, and patrons waiting for the bars to open! Continuing south on NB 87, we turned west on US Hwy 20 and passed through Ft Robinson State Park, sometimes referred to as the best state park in America, then into Wyoming. On I-25 we stopped in Casper, WY for gas and groceries. From Casper, we turned onto WY Hwy 220. We stopped along the way to take a photo of Lake Alcova and then later at Independence Rock on the Oregon Trail. Independence Rock was a significant landmark for travelers on the Oregon Trail as it marked the approximate half way point between Missouri and the Pacific Coast. It was so named because it was the goal of the travelers to reach this point by July 4 th. To do so meant that they would arrive in Oregon before the winter storms arrived. It is estimated that nearly 500,000 people passed this point between 1843 and 1869. Numerous of them carved their names in this rock. Unfortunately, time and erosion have left these marks mostly unreadable. We took a photo of one, which we could barely make out. However, there was a sign adjacent to it showing what it looked like when carved into the rock in 1904 by Ezra Meeker. Meeker at age 21 passed this way with his parents in 1852 on their way from Iowa to Oregon. It seems that at age 72, Meeker, in an attempt to draw attention to preserving the Oregon Trail, took a team of ox from Oregon to Missouri. Stopping at Independence Rock, he carved "Oregon Trail" in the rock. Photo of Meeker's original carving, and the sign. The sign shows the way the carving appeared in earlier years. Also photos of Independence Rock from a further distance, and a photo of the Oregon Trail as it passes the rock. This stop was among the most favorite for Tinsel. Here, she saw many, many rabbits. It was difficult trying to get her to move on the trail from the parking area to the rock as she was on a continuous point. She is a pointer after all! Also, a photo of Richard pointing as well. At dusk we arrived at our destination for the night, Lander, Wyoming.
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